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The Story of John G. Paton: Chapter 79 - Christianity and Cocoanuts


      NASWAI, the friend and companion of Namakei, was an inland Chief. He had, as his followers, by far the largest number of men in any village on Aniwa. He had certainly a dignified bearing, and his wife Katua was quite a lady in look and manner as compared with all around her. She was the first woman on the Island that adopted the clothes of civilization, and she showed considerable instinctive taste in the way she dressed herself in these. Her example was a kind of Gospel in its good influence on all the women; she was a real companion to her husband, and went with him almost everywhere.

      Naswai was younger and more intelligent than Namakei, and in everything, except in translating the Scriptures, he was much more of a fellow-helper in the work of the Lord. For many years it was Naswai's special delight to carry my pulpit Bible from the Mission House to the Church every Sabbath morning, and to see that everything was in perfect order before the Service began. He was also the Teacher in his own village School, as well as an Elder in the Church. His addresses were wonderfully happy in graphic illustrations, and his prayers were fervid and uplifting. Yet his people were the worst to manage on all the Island, and the very last to embrace the Gospel.

      He died when we were in the Colonies on furlough in 1875; and his wife Katua very shortly pre-deceased him. His last counsels to his people made a great impression on them. They told us how he pleaded with them to love and serve the Lord Jesus, and how he assured them with his dying breath that he had been "a new creature" since he gave his heart to Christ, and that he was perfectly happy in going to be with his Saviour.

      I must here recall one memorable example of Naswai's power and skill as a preacher. On one occasion the Dayspring brought a large deputation from Fotuna to see for themselves the change which the Gospel had produced on Aniwa. On Sabbath, after the Missionaries had conducted the usual Public Worship, some of the leading Aniwans addressed the Fotunese; and amongst others, Naswai spoke to the following effect: "Men of Fotuna, you come to see what the Gospel has done for Aniwa. It is Jehovah the living God that has made all this change. As Heathens, we quarreled, killed, and ate each other. We had no peace and no joy in heart or house, in villages or in lands; but we now live as brethren and have happiness in all these things. When you go back to Fotuna, they will ask you, 'What is Christianity?' And you will have to reply, 'It is that which has changed the people of Aniwa.' But they will still say, 'What is it?' And you will answer, 'It is that which has given them clothing and blankets, knives and axes, fish-hooks and many other useful things; it is that which has led them to give up fighting, and to live together as friends.' But they will ask you, 'What is it like?' And you will have to tell them, alas, that you cannot explain it that you have only seen its workings, not itself, and that no one can tell what Christianity is but the man that loves Jesus, the Invisible Master, and walks with Him and tries to please Him. Now, you people of Fotuna, you think that if you don't dance and sing and pray to your gods, you will have no crops. We once did so too, sacrificing and doing much abomination to our gods for weeks before our planting season every year. But we saw our Missi only praying to the Invisible Jehovah, and planting his yams, and they grew fairer than ours. You are weak every year before your hard work begins in the fields, with your wild and bad conduct to please your gods. But we are strong for our work, for we pray to Jehovah, and He gives quiet rest instead of wild dancing, and makes us happy in our toils. Since we followed Missi's example, Jehovah has given us large and beautiful crops, and we now know that He gives us all our blessings."

      Turning to me, he exclaimed, "Missi, have you the large yam we presented to you? Would you not think it well to send it back with these men of Fotuna, to let their people see the yams which Jehovah grows for us in answer to prayer? Jehovah is the only God who can grow yams like that!"

      Then, after a pause, he proceeded, "When you go back to Fotuna, and they ask you, 'What is Christianity?' you will be like an inland Chief of Erromanga, who once came down and saw a great feast on the shore. When he saw so much food and so many different kinds of it, he asked, 'What is this made of?' and was answered, 'Cocoanuts and yams.' 'And this?' 'Cocoanuts and bananas.' 'And this?' 'Cocoanuts and taro.' 'And this?' 'Cocoanuts and chestnuts,' etc. etc. The Chief was immensely astonished at the host of dishes that could be prepared from the cocoanuts. On returning, he carried home a great load of them to his people, that they might see and taste the excellent food of the shore-people. One day, all being assembled, he told them the wonders of that feast; and, having roasted the cocoanuts, he took out the kernels, all charred and spoiled, and distributed them, amongst his people. They tasted the cocoanut, they began to chew it, and then spat it out, crying, 'Our own food is better than that!' The Chief was confused, and only got laughed at for all his trouble. Was the fault in the cocoanuts? No; but they were spoiled in the cooking! So your attempts to explain Christianity will only spoil it. Tell them that a man must live as a Christian, before he can show others what Christianity is."

      On their return to Fotuna they exhibited Jehovah's yam, given in answer to prayer and labor; they told what Christianity had done for Aniwa; but did not fail to qualify all their accounts with the story of the Erromangan Chief and the cocoanuts.

Back to John G. Paton index.

See Also:
   Preface
   Chapter 1 - Our Cottage Home
   Chapter 2 - Our Forebears
   Chapter 3 - Consecrated Parents
   Chapter 4 - School Days
   Chapter 5 - Leaving the Old Home
   Chapter 6 - Early Struggles
   Chapter 7 - A City Missionary
   Chapter 8 - Glasgow Experiences
   Chapter 9 - A Foreign Missionary
   Chapter 10 - To the New Hebrides
   Chapter 11 - First Impressions of Heathendom
   Chapter 12 - Breaking Ground on Tanna
   Chapter 13 - Pioneers in the New Hebrides
   Chapter 14 - The Great Bereavement
   Chapter 15 - At Home With Cannibals
   Chapter 16 - Superstitions and Cruelties
   Chapter 17 - Streaks of Dawn Amidst Deeds of Darkness
   Chapter 18 - The Visit Of H. M. S. "Cordelia"
   Chapter 19 - "Noble Old Abraham"
   Chapter 20 - A Typical South Sea Trader
   Chapter 21 - Under Ax And Musket
   Chapter 22 - A Native Saint and Martyr
   Chapter 23 - Building and Printing for God
   Chapter 24 - Heathen Dance and Sham Fight
   Chapter 25 - Cannibals at Work
   Chapter 26 - The Defying of Nahak
   Chapter 27 - A Perilous Pilgrimage
   Chapter 28 - The Plague of Measles
   Chapter 29 - Attacked with Clubs
   Chapter 30 - Kowia
   Chapter 31 - Martyrdom of the Gordons
   Chapter 32 - Shadows Deepening on Tanna
   Chapter 33 - The Visit of the Commodore
   Chapter 34 - The War Chiefs in Council
   Chapter 35 - Under Knife and Tomahawk
   Chapter 36 - The Beginning of the End
   Chapter 37 - Five Hours in a Canoe
   Chapter 38 - A Race for Life
   Chapter 39 - Faint Yet Pursuing
   Chapter 40 - Waiting at Kwamera
   Chapter 41 - The Last Awful Night
   Chapter 42 - "Sail O! Sail O!"
   Chapter 43 - Farewell to Tanna
   Chapter 44 - The Floating of the "Dayspring"
   Chapter 45 - A Shipping Company for Jesus
   Chapter 46 - Australian Incidents
   Chapter 47 - Amongst Squatters and Diggers
   Chapter 48 - John Gilpin in the Bush
   Chapter 49 - The Aborigines of Australia
   Chapter 50 - Nora
   Chapter 51 - Back to Scotland
   Chapter 52 - Tour Through the Old Country
   Chapter 53 - Marriage and Farewell
   Chapter 54 - First Peep at the "Dayspring"
   Chapter 55 - The French in the Pacific
   Chapter 56 - The Gospel and Gunpowder
   Chapter 57 - A Plea for Tanna
   Chapter 58 - Our New Home on Aniwa
   Chapter 59 - House-Building for God
   Chapter 60 - A City of God
   Chapter 61 - The Religion of Revenge
   Chapter 62 - First Fruits on Aniwa
   Chapter 63 - Traditions and Customs
   Chapter 64 - Nelwang's Elopement
   Chapter 65 - The Christ-Spirit at Work
   Chapter 66 - The Sinking of the Well
   Chapter 67 - Rain from Below
   Chapter 68 - The Old Chief's Sermon
   Chapter 69 - The First Book and the New Eyes
   Chapter 70 - A Roof-Tree for Jesus
   Chapter 71 - "Knock The Tevil Out!"
   Chapter 72 - The Conversion of Youwili
   Chapter 73 - First Communion on Aniwa
   Chapter 74 - The New Social Order
   Chapter 75 - The Orphans and Their Biscuits
   Chapter 76 - The Finger-Posts of God
   Chapter 77 - The Gospel in Living Capitals
   Chapter 78 - The Death Of Namakei
   Chapter 79 - Christianity and Cocoanuts
   Chapter 80 - Nerwa's Beautiful Farewell
   Chapter 81 - Ruwawa
   Chapter 82 - Litsi Sore and Mungaw
   Chapter 83 - The Conversion of Nasi
   Chapter 84 - The Appeal of Lamu
   Chapter 85 - Wanted! A Steam Auxiliary
   Chapter 86 - My Campaign in Ireland
   Chapter 87 - Scotland's Free-Will Offerings
   Chapter 88 - England's Open Book
   Chapter 89 - Farewell Scenes
   Chapter 90 - Welcome to Victoria and Aniwa
   Chapter 91 - Good News From Tanna, 1891

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